Band conveyer on an air cushion

ABSTRACT

The conveyer comprises a continuous band whose operating and idle strands are moved in separate closed troughs interconnected by air-supply pipe lines to successively form an air cushion under both strands of the band with the aid of one fan.

United States Patent [1 1 Dolgolenko et al.

[ 1 May 22, 1973 BAND CONVEYER ON AN AIR CUSHION Inventors: Anatoly Alexandrovich Dolgolenko, ulitsa professora Kachalova, 6, kv. 7; Pavel Pavlovich Ouokhov, ulitsa Trefoleva, 6/30, kv. 6; Jury Meerovich Makhover, 8 Sovetskaya, 17/19, kv. l6; Alexandr Markovich Gudovich, ulitsa V. Alexeeva, 20/24, kv. 25, all of Leningrad, U.S.S.R.

Filed: Mar. 1, 1972 Appl. N0.: 230,601

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 3, 1971 U.S.S.R. ..1649562 US. Cl. ..198/184, 198/191, 198/204 Int. Cl ..B65g 15/08 Field of Search ..198/184, 191 204 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 756,600 4/1904 Dodge ..198/184 X 3,583,551 6/1971 Barnish ..198/184 3,627,111 12/1971 Hillinger ..198/184 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,081,373 5/1960 Germany ..198/184 Primary Examiner--Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-W. Scott Carson AttorneyHo1man and Stern [5 7 ABSTRACT The conveyer comprises a continuous band whose operating and idle strands are moved in separate closed troughs interconnected by air-supply pipe lines to successively form an air cushion under both strands of the band with the aid of one fan.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patdnted May 22, 1973 3,134,271

BAND CONVEYER ON AN AIR CUSHION The present invention relates to transportation means and, more particularly, to a band conveyer on an air cushion provided by pressurized air forced by fans to under the conveyer band.

The present invention may be used in band conveyers for transporting dust-producing and toxic materials in chemical, mining and metallurgical industries.

Known in the art are band conveyers on an air cushion, whose operating strand of the band is enclosed in a closed trough connected in its lower portion with a force port of a fan delivering compressed air to under the operating strand of the band to provide an air cushion disposed between the latter and the trough and keeping the band in the suspended state.

In such band conveyers the compressed air is delivered from under the operating strand of the band into the trough space above the moving material and is let out into the ambient atmosphere through the butt ends of the trough.

In such conveyers the idle strand moves either on roller supports, or on an air cushion provided by a separate fan.

Such band conveyers are disadvantageous, inter alia, in that the compressed air let out of the air cushion disposed under the operating strand into the space above the material being transported carries away its particles from the band, thereby increasing dusting of the zones in which the material is charged and discharged. Besides, the fact that this air is let out into the ambient atmosphere results in a considerable amount of its unused energy, which decreases the efficiency of the fans and the conveyer as a whole.

An object of the present invention is to provide a band conveyer on an air cushion, used for transporting dust-producing and toxic materials, that would prevent their particles from getting into the ambient atmosphere and, therefore, would improve the conditions of servicing the conveyer.

Another object of the present invention is to raise the efficiency of the fans by way of using more completely the compressed air energy and, consequently, to raise the efficiency of the conveyer and to lower its costs.

These objects are accomplished in a band conveyer on an air cushion, whose operating strand of the band is moved in a closed trough connected in its lower portion with a force port of at least one fan, in which conveyer, according to the present invention, the idle strand of the conveyer band is also enclosed in a closed trough which in its lower portion is connected by airsupply pipe lines with the trough of the operating strand of the band to deliver the air therefrom to under the idle strand and, then, to let it out through, at least, one exhaust port made in the trough of the idle strand.

This embodiment makes it possible to provide an air cushion under both strands of the conveyer with the aid of one fan by way of passing the compressed air successively first under the operating strand and then under the idle strand of the conveyer band, and, thereby, to use more completely the compressed air energy.

It is expedient to enclose both troughs in a common casing forming air-supply pipe lines intercommunicating said troughs.

This allows to achieve a better hermetic sealing of the conveyer, to make it more compact and convenient from the viewpoint of mounting it on a light foundation or separate supports, which, in its turn, makes easier its servicing and decreases its costs.

In order to provide for a closed circulation of the compressed air, the exhaust port of the trough of the idle strand is communicated with an intake port of the fan supplying air into the trough of the operating strand.

This makes it possible to insulate the conveyer from the ambient atmosphere and to prevent particles of the material being transported from getting thereinto.

The following detailed description of the present invention is given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically a longitudinal section of a horizontal band conveyer on an air cushion;

FIG. 2 shows a section taken along line II-Il in FIG. 1.

The band conveyer comprises a continuous flexible band 1 embracing a driving drum 2 and a tensioning drum 3 mounted on the conveyer base (not shown in the drawing).

An upper operating band 1 a of the band 1 is disposed in a closed trough 4 having a charging funnel 5 disposed at one side thereof and a charging hopper 6 disposed at the other side of it.

A lower idle strand 1 b of the band 1 is also disposed in a closed trough 7 enclosed together with the trough 4 of the operating strand 1 a into a common casing 8 forming air-supply pipe lines 8 a intercommunicating these troughs 4 and 7.

The upper trough 4 has a chamber 9 disposed in its lower portion under the operating strand 1 a of the band 1 and separated into separate sections 10 insulated one from another.

Each of the sections 10 is connected via a noncontrollable throttle 11 with a receiver 12 disposed under the trough 4 and connected, in its turn, by airsupply pipe lines 13 with force ports of fans 14 whose number is chosen depending on the length of the conveyer.

The system of the insulated sections 10 and the throttles 11 provide for a guaranteed air gap between the operating strand 1 a of the band 1 and trough 4 in case the material being transported is disposed nonuniformly along the length of the band 1. The throttles 11 may be substituted with porous partitions.

Disposed along the periphery of the trough 4 under the operating strand 1 a of the band are through openings l5 communicating the space of the trough 4 disposed under the operating strand 1 a (its air cushion) with the space of the casing 8.

Made in the lower portion of the trough 7 is a longitudinal port 16 adapted for passage of the air from the casing 8 space to under the idle strand 1 b of the conveyer band 1, and in the side wall of the trough 7 are exhaust ports 17 intercommunicated by air-supply pipe lines 18 with the intake ports of the fans 14.

The band conveyer operates as follows:

With the driving drum 2 switched-on, the operating strand 1 a of the conveyer band 1 starts moving in the direction of the arrow B.

The loose material C being transported is delivered onto the operating strand 1 a of the band 1 through the charging funnel 5, and is moved together with the latter to the charging hopper 6.

The fans 14 are switched-on simultaneously with the driving drum 2 to force compressed air along the air- 4. Then, the air is delivered through the ports 15 made in the trough 4 and along the air-supply pipe lines 8 a to under the idle strand 1 b of the band 1, and, while passing it by, is let out into the ports 17 from which it is sucked-in by the fans 14 along the air-supply pipe lines 18.

In order to hermetically seal the trough 4 of the operating strand 1 a, use is made of a feeding device and locks (not shown in the drawings) which are mounted at the input and output of the conveyer.

This closed (circular) system of the air movement inside the conveyer prevents dust-like particles of the material being transported from getting into the ambient atmosphere, which improves the working conditions of the personnel, while the successive use of the compressed air energy for the provision of an air cushion, first, under the operating strand 1 a and, then, under the idle strand 1 b of the band 1 raises the efficiency of the fans 14, and, at the same time, decreases the costs of the conveyer as a whole. t

With the air supplied into the separate sections of the chamber 9 disposed under the operating strand 1 a of the band 1, the pressure of the air in the conveyer according to the present invention is always proportional to the amount of the material on the band 1 within the limits of each section 10.

What we claim is:

1. A band conveyer on an air cushion, comprising a base; a drivingdrum mounted at an end portion of said base; a tensioning drum mounted at the opposite end portion of said base; a flexible continuous band embracing said drums and driven by said driving drum; a first closed trough in which the upper operating strand of said band is moved to carry the material being transported; at least one fan mounted on said base; said first trough connected in its lower portion with a force port of said fan to provide an air cushion under said operating strand of the band; a second closed trough in which the lower idle strand of said band is moved; air-supply pipe lines connecting the lower portion of said second trough with said first trough to discharge the air from the latter to under said idle strand of the band; at least one exhaust port made in said second trough.

2. A band conveyer as claimed in claim 1, wherein both said troughs are enclosed in a common casing forming air-supply pipe lines.

3. A band conveyer as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

in order to provide a closed circulation of air, said exhaust port of the second trough is connected with the intake port of said fan forcing air into said first trough. 

1. A band conveyer on an air cushion, comprising a base; a driving drum mounted at an end portion of said base; a tensioning drum mounted at the opposite end portion of said base; a flexible continuous band embracing said drums and driven by said driving drum; a first closed trough in which the upper operating strand of said band is moved to carry the material being transported; at least one fan mounted on said base; said first trough connected in its lower portion with a force port of said fan to provide an air cushion under said operating strand of the band; a second closed trough in which the lower idle strand of said band is moved; air-supply pipe lines connecting the lower portion of said second trough with said first trough to discharge the air from the latter to under said idle strand of the band; at least one exhaust port made in said second trough.
 2. A band conveyer as claimed in claim 1, wherein both said troughs are enclosed in a common casing forming air-supply pipe lines.
 3. A band conveyer as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in order to provide a closed circulation of air, said exhaust port of the second trough is connected with the intake port of said fan forcing air into said first trough. 